unbeaten tracks in japan-第56部分

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the　sadder　that　their　numbers　appear　to　be　again　increasing；　and　as
their　physique　is　very　fine；　there　does　not　appear　to　be　a　prospect
of　the　race　dying　out　at　present。

They　are　certainly　superior　to　many　aborigines；　as　they　have　an
approach　to　domestic　life。　　They　have　one　word　for　HOUSE；　and
another　for　HOME；　and　one　word　for　husband　approaches　very　nearly
to　house…band。　　Truth　is　of　value　in　their　eyes；　and　this　in　itself
raises　them　above　some　peoples。　　Infanticide　is　unknown；　and　aged
parents　receive　filial　reverence；　kindness；　and　support；　while　in
their　social　and　domestic　relations　there　is　much　that　is
praiseworthy。

I　must　conclude　this　letter　abruptly；　as　the　horses　are　waiting；
and　I　must　cross　the　rivers；　if　possible；　before　the　bursting　of　an
impending　storm。　　I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XXXVIII



A　Parting　GiftA　DelicacyGenerosityA　Seaside　Village
Pipichari's　AdviceA　Drunken　RevelIto's　PropheciesThe　Kocho's
IllnessPatent　Medicines。

SARUFUTO；　YEZO；　August　27。

I　left　the　Ainos　yesterday　with　real　regret；　though　I　must　confess
that　sleeping　in　one's　clothes　and　the　lack　of　ablutions　are　very
fatiguing。　　Benri's　two　wives　spent　the　early　morning　in　the
laborious　operation　of　grinding　millet　into　coarse　flour；　and
before　I　departed；　as　their　custom　is；　they　made　a　paste　of　it；
rolled　it　with　their　unclean　fingers　into　well…shaped　cakes；　boiled
them　in　the　unwashed　pot　in　which　they　make　their　stew　of
〃abominable　things；〃　and　presented　them　to　me　on　a　lacquer　tray。
They　were　distressed　that　I　did　not　eat　their　food；　and　a　woman
went　to　a　village　at　some　distance　and　brought　me　some　venison　fat
as　a　delicacy。　　All　those　of　whom　I　had　seen　much　came　to　wish　me
good…bye；　and　they　brought　so　many　presents　（including　a　fine
bearskin）　that　I　should　have　needed　an　additional　horse　to　carry
them　had　I　accepted　but　one…half。

I　rode　twelve　miles　through　the　forest　to　Mombets；　where　I　intended
to　spend　Sunday；　but　I　had　the　worst　horse　I　ever　rode；　and　we　took
five　hours。　　The　day　was　dull　and　sad；　threatening　a　storm；　and
when　we　got　out　of　the　forest；　upon　a　sand…hill　covered　with　oak
scrub；　we　encountered　a　most　furious　wind。　　Among　the　many　views
which　I　have　seen；　that　is　one　to　be　remembered。　　Below　lay　a
bleached　and　bare　sand…hill；　with　a　few　grey　houses　huddled　in　its
miserable　shelter；　and　a　heaped…up　shore　of　grey　sand；　on　which　a
brown…grey　sea　was　breaking　with　clash　and　boom　in　long；　white；
ragged　lines；　with　all　beyond　a　confusion　of　surf；　surge；　and　mist；
with　driving　brown　clouds　mingling　sea　and　sky；　and　all　between
showing　only　in　glimpses　amidst　scuds　of　sand。

At　a　house　in　the　scrub　a　number　of　men　were　drinking　sake　with
much　uproar；　and　a　superb…looking　Aino　came　out；　staggered　a　few
yards；　and　then　fell　backwards　among　the　weeds；　a　picture　of
debasement。　　I　forgot　to　tell　you　that　before　I　left　Biratori；　I
inveighed　to　the　assembled　Ainos　against　the　practice　and
consequences　of　sake…drinking；　and　was　met　with　the　reply；　〃We　must
drink　to　the　gods；　or　we　shall　die；〃　but　Pipichari　said；　〃You　say
that　which　is　good；　let　us　give　sake　to　the　gods；　but　not　drink
it；〃　for　which　bold　speech　he　was　severely　rebuked　by　Benri。

Mombets　is　a　stormily…situated　and　most　wretched　cluster　of　twenty…
seven　decayed　houses；　some　of　them　Aino；　and　some　Japanese。　　The
fish…oil　and　seaweed　fishing　trades　are　in　brisk　operation　there
now　for　a　short　time；　and　a　number　of　Aino　and　Japanese　strangers
are　employed。　　The　boats　could　not　get　out　because　of　the　surf；　and
there　was　a　drunken　debauch。　　The　whole　place　smelt　of　sake。　　Tipsy
men　were　staggering　about　and　falling　flat　on　their　backs；　to　lie
there　like　dogs　till　they　were　sober；Aino　women　were　vainly
endeavouring　to　drag　their　drunken　lords　home；　and　men　of　both
races　were　reduced　to　a　beastly　equality。　　I　went　to　the　yadoya
where　I　intended　to　spend　Sunday；　but；　besides　being　very　dirty　and
forlorn；　it　was　the　very　centre　of　the　sake　traffic；　and　in　its
open　space　there　were　men　in　all　stages　of　riotous　and　stupid
intoxication。　　It　was　a　sad　scene；　yet　one　to　be　matched　in　a
hundred　places　in　Scotland　every　Saturday　afternoon。　　I　am　told　by
the　Kocho　here　that　an　Aino　can　drink　four　or　five　times　as　much　as
a　Japanese　without　being　tipsy；　so　for　each　tipsy　Aino　there　had
been　an　outlay　of　6s。　or　7s。；　for　sake　is　8d。　a　cup　here！

I　had　some　tea　and　eggs　in　the　daidokoro；　and　altered　my　plans
altogether　on　finding　that　if　I　proceeded　farther　round　the　east
coast；　as　I　intended；　I　should　run　the　risk　of　several　days'
detention　on　the　banks　of　numerous　〃bad　rivers〃　if　rain　came　on；　by
which　I　should　run　the　risk　of　breaking　my　promise　to　deliver　Ito
to　Mr。　Maries　by　a　given　day。　　I　do　not　surrender　this　project；
however；　without　an　equivalent；　for　I　intend　to　add　100　miles　to　my
journey；　by　taking　an　almost　disused　track　round　Volcano　Bay；　and
visiting　the　coast　Ainos　of　a　very　primitive　region。　　Ito　is　very
much　opposed　to　this；　thinking　that　he　has　made　a　sufficient
sacrifice　of　personal　comfort　at　Biratori；　and　plies　me　with
stories；　such　as　that　there　are　〃many　bad　rivers　to　cross；〃　that
the　track　is　so　worn　as　to　be　impassable；　that　there　are　no
yadoyas；　and　that　at　the　Government　offices　we　shall　neither　get
rice　nor　eggs！　　An　old　man　who　has　turned　back　unable　to　get　horses
is　made　responsible　for　these　stories。　　The　machinations　are　very
amusing。　　Ito　was　much　smitten　with　the　daughter　of　the　house…
master　at　Mororan；　and　left　some　things　in　her　keeping；　and　the
desire　to　see　her　again　is　at　the　bottom　of　his　opposition　to　the
other　route。

Monday。The　horse　could　not　or　would　not　carry　me　farther　than
Mombets；　so；　sending　the　baggage　on；　I　walked　through　the　oak　wood；
and　enjoyed　its　silent　solitude；　in　spite　of　the　sad　reflections
upon　the　enslavement　of　the　Ainos　to　sake。　　I　spent　yesterday
quietly　in　my　old　quarters；　with　a　fearful　storm　of　wind　and　rain
outside。　　Pipichari　appeared　at　noon；　nominally　to　bring　news　of
the　sick　woman；　who　is　recovering；　and　to　have　his　nearly　healed
foot　bandaged　again；　but　really　to　bring　me　a　knife　sheath　which　he
has　carved　for　me。　　He　lay　on　the　mat　in　the　corner　of　my　room　most
of　the　afternoon；　and　I　got　a　great　many　more　words　from　him。　　The
house…master；　who　is　the　Kocho　of　Sarufuto；　paid　me　a　courteous
visit；　and　in　the　evening　sent　to　say　that　he　would　be　very　glad　of
some　medicine；　for　he　was　〃very　ill　and　going　to　have　fever。〃　　He
had　caught　a　bad　cold　and　sore　throat；　had　bad　pains　in　his　limbs；
and　was　bemoaning　himself　ruefully。　　To　pacify　his　wife；　who　was
very　sorry　for　him；　I　gave　him　some　〃Cockle's　Pills〃　and　the
trapper's　remedy　of　〃a　pint　of　hot　water　with　a　pinch　of　cayenne
pepper；〃　and　left　him　moaning　and　bundled　up　under　a　pile　of
futons；　in　a　nearly　hermetically　sealed　room；　with　a　hibachi　of
charcoal　vitiating　the　air。　　This　morning　when　I　went　and　inquired
after　him　in　a　properly　concerned　tone；　his　wife　told　me　very
gleefully　that　he　was　quite　well　and　had　gone　out；　and　had　left　25
sen　for　some　more　of　the　medicines　that　I　had　given　him；　so　with
great　gravity　I　put　up　some　of　Duncan　and　Flockhart's　most　pungent
cayenne　pepper；　and　showed　her　how　much　to　use。　　She　was　not
content；　however；　without　some　of　the　〃Cockles；〃　a　single　box　of
which　has　performed　six　of　those　〃miraculous　cures〃　which　rejoice
the　hearts　and　fill　the　pockets　of　patent　medicine　makers！

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XXXIX



A　Welcome　GiftRecent　ChangesVolcanic　PhenomenaInteresting
Tufa　ConesSemi…strangulationA　Fall　into　a　Bear…trapThe
Shiraoi　AinosHorsebreaking　and　Cruelty。

OLD　MORORAN；　VOLCANO　BAY；　YEZO；
September　2。

After　the　storm　of　Sunday；　Monday　was　a　grey；　still；　tender　day；
and　the　ranges　of　wooded　hills　were　bathed　in　the　richest　indigo
colouring。　　A　canter　of　seventeen　miles　among　the　damask　roses　on　a
very　rough　horse　only　took　me　to　Yubets；　whose　indescribable
loneliness　fascinated　me　into　spending　a　night　there　again；　and
encountering　a　wild　clatter　of　wind　and　rain；　and　another　canter　of
seven　miles　the　next　morning　took　me　to　Tomakomai；　where　I　rejoined
my　kuruma；　and　after　a　long　delay；　three　trotting　Ainos　took　me　to
Shiraoi；　where　the　〃clear　shining　after　rain；〃　and　the　mountains
against　a　lemon…coloured　sky；　were　extremely　beautiful；　but　the
Pacific　was　as　unrestful　as　a　guilty　thing；　and　its　crash　and
clamour　and　the　severe　cold　fatigued　me　so　much　that　I　did　not
pursue　my　journey　the　next　day；　and　had　the　pleasure　of　a　flying
visit　from　Mr。　Von　Siebold　and　Count　Diesbach；　who　bestowed　a
chicken　upon　me。

I　like　Shiraoi　very　much；　and　if　I　were　stronger　would　certainly
make　it　a　basis　for　exploring　a　part　of　the　interior；　in　which
there　is　much　to　reward　the　explorer。　　Obviously　the　changes　in
this　part　of　Yezo　have　been　comparatively　recent；　and　the　energy　of
the　force　which　has　produced　them　is　not　yet　extinct。　　The　land　has
gained　from　the　sea　along　the　whole　of　this　part　of　the　coast　to
the　extent　of　two　or　three　miles；　the　old　beach　with　its　bays　and
headlands　being　a　marked　feature　of　the　landscape。　　This　new
formation　appears　to　be　a　vast　bed　of　pumice；　covered　by　a　thin
layer　of　vegetable　mould；　which　cannot　be　more　than　fifty　years
old。　　This　pumice　fell　during　the　eruption　of　the　volcano　of
Tarumai；　which　is　very　near　Shiraoi；　and　is　also　brought　down　in
large　quantities　from　the　interior　hills　and　valleys　by　the
numerous　rivers；　besides　being　washed　up　by　the　sea。　　At　the　last
eruption　pumice　fell　over　this　region　of　Yezo　to　a　medium　depth　of
3　feet　6　inches。　　In　nearly　all　the　rivers　good　sections　of　the
formation　may　be　seen　in　their　deeply…cleft　banks；　broad；　light…
coloured　bands　of　pumice；　with　a　few　inches　of　rich；　black；
vegetable　soil　above；　and　several　feet　of　black　sea…sand　below。
During　a　freshet　which　occurred　the　first　night　I　was　at　Shiraoi；　a
single　stream　covered　a　piece　of　land　with　pumice　to　the　depth　of
nine　inches；　being　the　wash　from　the　hills　of　the　interior；　in　a
course　of　less　than　fifteen　miles。

Looking　inland；　the　volcano　of　Tarumai；　with　a　bare　grey　top　and　a
blasted　forest　on　its　sides；　occupies　the　right　of　t